Toxic shock and tampons revisited.Toxic shock and tampons revisited Since tampons were first linked in 1980 to toxic shock syndrome toxic shock syndrome (TSS). acute, sometimes fatal, disease characterized by high fever, nausea, diarrhea, lethargy, blotchy rash, and sudden drop in blood pressure. It is caused by Staphylococcus aureus, an exotoxin-producing bacteria (see toxin). (TSS See ITU. ) among menstruating men·stru·ate intr.v. men·stru·at·ed, men·stru·at·ing, men·stru·ates To undergo menstruation. [Late Latin m women, scientists have studied tampon materials as contributing risk factors, resulting in the withdrawal in 1985 of tampon products containing polyacrylate. A recent epidemiologic study conducted by CDC See Control Data, century date change and Back Orifice. CDC - Control Data Corporation scientists reaffirms the connection between tampon use and the potentially fatal disease, but concludes that earlier focus on polyacrylate as a high-risk factor "may not have been the most appropriate way to reduce the risk of TSS.' In a report in the Aug. 21 JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association is an international peer-reviewed general medical journal, published 48 times per year by the American Medical Association. JAMA is the most widely circulated medical journal in the world. , the authors say that a tampon's absorbency, and not its chemical composition, appears to be the main culprit. An accompanying editorial by Sidney M. Wolfe of Public Citizen Health Research Group in Washington, D.C., criticizes the Food and Drug Administration for its "dangerous delay' in completing proposed rules that require absorbency ratings on tampon packaging. |
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